In recent years, the applications and uses for telephone services have greatly increased. Telephone services enable a multitude of different communications, many of which are foreign to traditional voice communication. For example, telephone operations now serve such apparatus as facsimile machines, computers, video control structures and so on. Recognizing the extent of such telephone activity, it is understandable that the number of erroneously placed calls (“wrong numbers”) has greatly increased. In fact, it has become common place for individual lines serving personal telephone instruments to receive large numbers of such erroneously placed calls.
Some unwanted telephone calls simply are accidental, for example, calls in which the called number has been erroneously entered, either manually or automatically. However, other unwanted calls are deliberate as in the case of mass-dialing promotions. In that regard, it is noteworthy that expanded telephone operations have enabled telephone promotions and campaigns of vast proportions which solicit variously from individuals. Such campaigns frequently involve solicitations that are undesired and annoying. Thus, power calling is another class of unwanted telephone calls has steadily increased.
Generally, as the number of unwanted telephone calls has increased, various solutions have been proposed. For example, some people have adopted the practice of using a telephone answering machine to screen calls. Also, caller identification units are in widespread use for manual call screening. However, in spite of various proposals, the problem continues to exist, perhaps even intensifying. Consequently, a need exists for developments to mitigate the problem of unwanted telephone calls.
Somewhat recently, in the above-referenced co-pending application, a telephone call screening invention was disclosed, which operates on the basis of recognizing various indicated criteria to identify and block unwanted telephone calls. The application is incorporated by reference herein.